1 Samuel 3:1

C. God’s First Revelation to Samuel 3:1-4:1a

This chapter records how God’s blessing of and through Samuel continued and grew as a result of his faithful commitment to God. This is a revelation of another call to ministry that God extended to His servants the prophets (cf. Exodus 3; Isaiah 6; Jeremiah 1; Ezekiel 1; et al.). [Note: See John E. Johnson, "The Old Testament Offices as Paradigm for Pastoral Identity," Bibliotheca Sacra 152:606 (April-June 1995):182-200.] It is also another instance in which God revealed Himself to someone audibly in a dream. [Note: See Robert K. Gnuse, The Dream Theophany of Samuel: Its Structure in Relation to Ancient Near Eastern Dreams and Its Theological Significance.]